Electron-discharge device



june 19, T1923.

P. SCHWERIN ELECTRON DISCHARGE DEVICE Filed Nov. l, 1916 I Patented June19, 1923.

A UNITED STATES PATENT i. oFnCEj,

PAU'L SCHWERIN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR INCORPORATED, OF NEW'YORK,N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

ELEcTnoN-Drscnnncn DEVICE.

Application mea November 1, 191s. seal No. 128,876.

To aZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known lthat I, PAUL ScHWEmN, a citizen of the United States,residinfr at New York, in the county of Bronx and tate of New York, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Electron-DischargeDevices, -of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exactdescription.

This invention relates to electron -dscharge devices and especially tovacuum tubes of the audion type, and has as an object a device of theabove character which has a very large power capacity.

In electron discharge devices of the audion type, two or more elementsare used, one of the elements being a cathode or a source of electrons.

action of a strong electrical ield, the electrons from the cathodetravel towards the anode, 'and acquire a high. velocity. As a result ofthe electronic bombardment to which it is thus subjected, the anodebecomes heated. This fact limits the power input, since-excessiveheating of Lthe anode drives oil" the occluded gas, or may even melt theanode, destroying the device.

In this invention then, the purpose is to so construct and arrange theanode that it will be able to dissipate avery large quantity of heat.Such an arrangement will make vacuum tubes of this type largelyindependent of the heating factor, which heretofore has been aseriouslimitation to their eiiiciency. This result has been obtained byhaving a circulating medium in contact with one surface of the anodeelement to act as a cooling agent, and of the various agents which maybe used, it has been found that water or oil Vis particularly suitable.This cooling of the anode, as herein described, has made possible amanifold increase in the amount of power which the audion tube canhandle.

' Other objects and features of the invention will be ap rent byreference to the following speci cation and accompanying drawings, inwhich Figs. l and 3 are views 1n perspective, with certain parts linsection, of two forms that this invention may take; Fig. 2 is across-sectional view of Fig. 1 at the line marked 2', 2. The samereference characters are used to designate like parts in the several fies.

Referring to ig. 1, 1 shows a gas tight,

Another element is the, anode. or collector of electrons. Under the.

`The filament and the grid, however,

preferably evacuated, glass vessel contain-'I ing three electrodes, andan anode 4 as is audions. helical tube projecting through the exteriorwall of the vessel. The interior of the anode tube is open to theatmosphere; and Aboth ends 5 and 6 of the helix' project through theglass vessel, thus affording an entrance and anexit for any mediumcirculating through said tube. As illustrated, both ends of the anodetube'may project out of the a filament 2, a grid 3,

lsame end ofthe evacuated vessel, but such an arrangement is not'necessary as the tube can be arranged in any suitable manner.Thisarrangement ali'ords a means whereby a cooling medium may be hollowanode,

To'wEsm-:BN ELECTRIC COMPANY,

i inserted intherand 1f desired, may be caused Y usual in the so-calledl The anode 4 is in the formbfa.A

to flow through the tube, thereby preventing excessive heating. of theanode from the electron bombardment of the cathode.

The tube designated as 4 with the ends 5 and 6 may have a uniformmetallic wall from one end to the other, as is shown in the drawings.

However, the lower portion of the tube 4,

especially near its ends, plays little part in the electrode function ofthe tube, but merely serves as a passageway for the cooling liquid.Hence, it may be preferable to have this lower portion of the'A metallictube of a diii'erentl materialsuch as glass, which serves to convey 'thecooling liquid to the heated portions of themetallic part.

The grid 3 is shown in the form of a metallic conductor, wound in theform of a helix within the helix of the anode tube. The lilament isshown `in the form of a plurality of wires connected in parallel andforming a cylindrical network inside the two helices. may be made( inanyV of the other various forms known in the art. Fig. 2 is across-sectional view of Fig. 1 taken at the point marked 2', g Y

grid are shown as being supported from glass columns 7 and 8 fastened tothe base of the tube. The anode'tube, however, may

be made strong enough to be self-supporting'V on account of its ownconnections with the Wall of the evacuated vessel, and herein is shownto be supported lin such a marmer,

lthe anode tube bombarded by electrons from the filament 2. The filamentand grid may be of any suitable type. and supported in any convenientmanner. In this figure the anode is shown to be self-supporting, whilethe filament and grid are supported by the glass columns 9 and 10respectively.

It is apparent that the arrangement of the electrodes herein describedand claimed results in a highly efiicient thermionic. device in whichthe tubular helical anode surrounding the other electrodes provides ascreen of cooling fiuid between said electrodes and the walls of thevessel in which they are contained It is obvious that the tube, togetherwith its parts` may be arranged in various other forms than thosedescribed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

That is claimed is:

1. An electron discharge device comprising a gas-tight vessel containinga filament. an anode, and an auxiliary electrode, said anode beingcomposed of a metallic conduit. said conduit being in the forni of ahelix in the interior of said vessel, and having its ends projectingoutside the vessel so that a cooling liquid may be. caused to flowtherethrough.

2. An electron discharge device comprising a gas-tight vessel containingan anode, said anode consisting of a helical metallic tube having open.ends projecting through the walls of the vessel and a'ording a passagefor a cooling fluid for said anode;

. 3. An electron discharge device comprising a gas-tight vesselcontainin a filament, an anode, and a grid, said ano e consisting of ahelical metallic tube having open ends projecting through .the walls ofthe vessel, thereby affording an entrance and an exit for a coolingliquid for said anode, said grid being locatedl between the filament andthe anode, and consisting of a metallic Wire vin the form of a helix.

4. An electron discharge device comprising a gas-tight vessel containinga Ytubular anode disposed longitudinally therein and having a greatereffective length than the length of said vessel.

5. An electron discharge device comprising a gas-tight vessel containingan anode, a cathode and an-auxiliary electrode, said anode being tubularin form and of a greater e'ective length than the length of said vessel.

recaer? 6. An electron discharge device comprising a gas-tight vesselcontaining a tubular anode having a greater effective length than thelength of said vessel, the interior of said anode being substantially atatmospheric pressure.

7. An electron discharge device comprising a gastight vessel and atubular anode having a greater effective length than the length of saidvessel, said anode having open ends projecting through the walls of saidvessel. thereby affording a passage for cooling fluid for said anode 8.An electron discharge device comprising a gas-tight vessel containing ahelical conduit and a plurality of electrodes surrounded thereby.

9. In an electron discharge device, a gastight vessel containing` anelectrode comprising a conduit and another electrode surrounded by saidconduit electrode.

10. n electron discharge device comprising a gas-tight vessel containingan anode. means for supplying a cooling fluid to one side of said anode,and a cathode and an auxiliary electrode within said anode.

11. An electron discharge device comprising a gas-tight vesselcontaining a helical grid, a filament disposed symmetrically about theaxisiof said grid and within said grid` and a hollow helical electr'odedisposed around the grid and the filament.

12. An electron discharge device comprising a gas-tight vesselcontaining a helical grid, a filament disposed s mlnetrically about theaxis of said grid an Within said grid, and a tubular helical electrodedisposed around the grid and thc filament.

13. An electron discharge device comprising a gas-tight vesselcontaining a helical grid, a filament disposed symmetrically about theaxis of' said grid and within said grid, and a. helical tubular anodedisp'osed around the grid and the filament, the ends of said anodeprojecting outside the vessel so that a coolin liquid may be caused toflow therethroug 14:. An electron discharge device comprising agas-tight vessel, means for providing a screen of cooling liquid withinsaid Vessel, and electrodes Within said screen.

15. An electron discharge device comprising a gas-tight vessel,electrodes Within said vessel, and a screen of cooling fluid betweensaid electrodes and the Walls of said vessel.

16. An electron discharge device comprising a gas-.tight vessel,electrodes Within said vessel, and a helical screen of cooling fluidbetween said electrodes and the walls of said vessel.

17. An electron discharge device comprising a gas-tight vessel, a grld,a filament, and an anode Within said vessel, said anode being in theform of a helix surrounding the filament and the grid, and being hollowto provide passage for a flow of cooling fluid between the iilament andthe grid and the walls of the vessel.

18. An electron discharge device comprising a gas-tight vesselcontaining a hollow electrode the interior of which is adapted toreceive a cooling Huid, an auxiliary electrode associated therewith andsupporting connections between said electrodes and one end of saidvessel.

19. An electron discharge device comprising a gas-tight vesselcontaining a grid, cathode and anode, said anode being hollow andadapted to receive a cooling fluid, and supporting connections betweensaid electrodes and3 one end of said vessel.

20. An electron discharge device comprising a containing vessel having astem integral therewith, a cathode, an anode supported solely from saidstem, said anode being provided with a passage extending therethroughfor the circulation of a cooling medium.

21. An electron discharge device comprising a plurality of electrodes,one of which is a conduit having an inlet and an outlet for the flow ofcooling medium therethrough, one of said electrodes surrounding anotherof said electrodes.

22. An electron discharge device comprising a plurality of electrodes,one of which is a conduit having an inlet and an loutlet for a flow ofcooling fluid therethrough said conduit electrode surroundingone of saidother electrodes. y

28. An electron discharge device comprising a cathode and an anode, thelatter being a conduit having an inlet and an outlet for a How ofcooling fluid therethrough, said anode surrounding said cathode.

24. In au electron discharge device, a gastight vessel containing afilament, an anode and a grid, said anode surroundin said filament andgrid and having an in et and an outlet for a cooling fluid, said gridbein located between the filament and the ano e.

25. A thermionic device comprising a cathode and a hollow anode, saidanode being in the form of a helix.

26. An electron discharge device comprising a cathode and a hollowanode, said anode being in the form of a helix and surrounding saidcathode.

27. An electron discharge device comprising a cathode, a hollow anodeand a grid, said anode being in the form 'of a helix surrounding saidgrid and cathode.

28. An electron discharge device comprising a cathode in the form of aplurality of sections connected in parallel, and a h'ollow helicalelectrode surrounding said cathode.

29. An electron discharge device comprisl ing a cathode in the form of aplurality of sections connected in arallel, and a hollow helical anodesurrounding said cathode.

30. An electron discharge device comprising a cathode in the form of aplurality of sections connected in parallel, a hollow helical anodesurrounding said cathode, and a helical grid between said anode and saidcathode.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 30th day ofOctober, A. D. 1916.

PAUL SCHWERIN.

